THE CARBON ASSIMILATION OF PENICILLIUM 



CONTRIBUTIONS FROM THE HULL BOTANICAL LABORATORY 10 8 



Heinrich Hasselbring 



Since Pasteur first showed that the lower fungi (yeasts in this 

 case) could be grown on nutrient solutions containing organic sub- 

 stances other than those derived from plant and animal tissues, a 

 large number of organic compounds have been examined with regard 

 to their nutritive value for molds. It has been found that the most 

 varied and widely different compounds are suitable in one case or 

 another for supplying carbon and nitrogen to those organisms. All 

 the fungi, however, cannot utilize the various compounds with equal 

 facility. Thus, while Penicillium is almost omnivorous, thriving on 

 alcohol, organic acids, sugars, and many other substances, Mucor 

 racemosus and M. javanicus, according to Wehmer, 2 and yeast, 

 according to Laurent, 3 do not assimilate alcohol. In like manner, 

 two very closely related compounds, such as the optically active 

 modifications of tartaric acid, as well as chemical isomers without an 

 asymmetric carbon atom, 4 may possess very different nutrient value. 



The knowledge that a great number of organic compounds of the 

 most varied structure could supply fungi with the necessary food and 

 energy for all of their activities, soon led to attempts to establish some 

 relation between the structure of organic compounds and their nutri- 

 tive value. One of the first of these attempts was that of Nageli, s 

 who came to the conclusion, as the result of the study of a large number 

 of substances, that food value depended upon the specific linkage of 

 i Pasteur, L., Les corpuscules organises qui existent dans 1' atmosphere. Ann. 

 Chim. et Phys. III. 64:5-110. 1862. 



2 Wehmer, C., Ueber das Verhalten der Mucor-Arten gegen verdiinnten Alcohol. 

 Ber. Deutsch. Bot. Gesells. 23:216, 217. 1905. 



3 Laurent, E., Nutrition hydrocarbonee et formation de glycogene chez la levure 

 de biere. Ann. Inst. Pasteur 3:113-125. 1889. 



4 Buchner, E., Notiz aus der Gahrungschemie. Ber. Deutsch. Chem. Gesells. 

 25:1161-1163. 1892. 



Wehmer, C., Beitrage zur Kenntnis einheimischer Pilze 87-104. 1903. 



s Nageli, C, Ernahrung der niederen Pilze durch Kohlenstoff- und Stickstoff- 

 verbindungen. Bot. Mitth. 3:395-485. 1881. 

 Botanical Gazette, vol. 45] [*7 6 



